Homeric Hymns

This image was created for both my book chapter introduction to the Olympians, and also for the Greek mythology zine; "Sing O' Muse." I knew I would have Homer and his lyre and the gods bursting forth from the source of the musical instrument and poet. I focused on creating a composition which had vitality, energy, and life; with flowing forms and lots of vibrant color and contrast. This image to me is about breathing life into the gods and the myths, so in a way, it encapsulates my overall goal as an artist in relation to these ancient myths. So for this reason, this image will always hold a special place in my heart due to its symbolism.

Having defeated the Storm God Typhon, Zeus and his siblings: Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, Demeter, and Hades now reign supreme, along with Zeus's children: Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, and Hera’s son Hephaestus. After the Titanomachy war, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades divide up the three major realms, with Zeus taking the heavens, Poseidon the seas, and Hades the underworld.

The Olympian Gods are ageless and immortal but not invincible, leading to intriguing episodes in my tale, the Iliad, where heroes like Diomedes and Herakles wound gods such as Aphrodite and Ares. Their immortality is sustained by consuming Nectar and Ambrosia, which maintains their divine blood, or "Ichor." Keep in mind, Hades, although a sibling of Zeus, rules the underworld and is thus not considered an Olympian.

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